Quilting with flannel...do you like it?

I'm planning on making a John Deere quilt for my DH and I am thinking about making it with flannel. Is flannel easy to use/quilt with?

Anyone's experiences would be appreciated! Thanks!

I've made all flannel baby quilts and used flannel quite often as backing. I haven't had any issues with it, but always prewash my flannel because of shrinkage. I've only hand quilted the ones I've made, machine quilting might be a bit different.

I LOVE flannel! I didn't find it much different to work with , and it makes such a SOFT lovely quilt.

I have used flannel front and back on a baby quilt and had no problems, and yes prewashing is a must.

Love a good quality flannel. And, do prewash. I've machine quilted it before, no problems there for me at all.

Hugs,

I love to use flannel for backing, it's easy to work with and it's warm. I sometimes use it for batting.

So....to add to this discussion......can you press and starch flannel just like cotton fabric, as in setting the seams? Will the seams lie flat?

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Originally Posted by SuzyQue

So....to add to this discussion......can you press and starch flannel just like cotton fabric, as in setting the seams? Will the seams lie flat?

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I press the flannel and the seams lie flat. I Don't starch so I can't help with that.

I see that they have pink John Deere flannel! I think it'd be fine for quilting. Nice and soft!

All my quilts were made with flannel for the longest time (lots of babies and cold weather!) and I LOVE to sew with it.

My favorite thing to do with flannel is to make rag quilts. They are fun and easy to make. But you do have to wash flannel before using it because there is significant shrinkage, and if you don't everything will get all wonky.

Yes, wash flannel before sewing it especially if using non-flannel fabrics with it. Flannel is a cotton fabric . You can iron it just as you would any other cottons. The only thing to consider is flannel is a looser weave so it tends to stretch just a little, so don't tug on it while sewing. While flannel is softer to the touch & warmer on the body, it is also a bit heavier so consider a light weight batting . I usually use a poly/cotton batting on kids flannel quilts because they are most likely going to be in the laundry a lot. The poly batting holds up longer also. Do try the flannel. I bet you will love it! Hope I've been of help.

I love flannel too. Good quality flannel is SOOOOO much different than the cheaper type. It holds its shape better, shrinks less and is much softer. I have made lots of rag quilts with flannel .... and baby quilts and also used it for backing on cotton quilts. Hope this helps some

Something that hasn't been mentioned here - get ready to do some of Jenny's spring cleaning on your sewing machine - before, during (many times) and after. Flannel will have a bit more lint and fluff as you sew. Other than that, have fun!!

All my rag quilts are made from flannel...I love working with it. I've also used flannel as backing on regular baby quilts.

Ok, good to know! Thanks everyone! :)

I love working with flannel. In my opinion it's quite easy to use!